Sanjaya Gunarathna, a talented contemporary artist, conducted his first solo art exhibition, “Life without Green”. The exhibition aimed to bring awareness to the need to protect the environment.
According to Sanjaya, the basic idea for this art exhibition’s theme came during the corona pandemic. In his opinion, it was a severe warning given by nature to the entire world to show the consequences of exploiting and destroying the environment.
Sanjaya believes that nature is the eternal truth in the world. Therefore, the world cannot imagine human existence without the color Green.
Looking at today’s world, a man who was a part of this nature is challenging it and building their cultural world. As a result, the world is now plagued with natural disasters, calamities, and a difficult place to live. “Life without Green” theme allowed the artist to express what nature means to human life.
Sanjaya Gunarathna, a contemporary artist, animator, and graphic designer, was born on January 18, 1980 in Panadura, Sri Lanka as the eldest child in the family.
His father was a music teacher, and his mother was a dancing teacher. He was obsessed with drawing and painting as a kid with the influence of his grandfather. After finishing college, he attended a three-year course in Traditional Art Work conducted by the Cultural Department.
During that training course, Sanjaya sharpened his skills in different aspects of art, including traditional art conservation and restoration, life drawing, sculpture, and landscape drawing. His style of painting has been influenced by Pablo Picasso, Michelangelo, and Chamila Gamage. In 2011, Sanjaya joined National Rupavahini (TV) Corporation and has made valuable contributions. He won the state award for Best Animation Production at the State Television Arts Awards Ceremony in 2021.
According to Sanjaya Gunarathna, “There is no real benefit of this development causing destruction of nature. Looking at today’s society, it is evident that there is a tendency for people to suffer from excessive mental stress, epidemics, and cancer. He believes that nature is the eternal truth in the world. Therefore, the world cannot imagine human existence without the color Green”.
